Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

12 reviews

glitterdeww's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Just about everything in this book is an A+, and I need to give it all that credit up front. The plot setup of Big Swiss is brilliant. An emotionally immature woman in her 40s has on a whim, uprooted her life, moved in to a friend's 300 year old dilapidated farm house in a small New York town, started a job as a transcriptionist to a sex therapist, and became infatuated with a client that she hears through the recordings. I see why this is supposed to be an HBO series (if they just get a move on, already). You look at that cover, and you know this is going to be an unhinged, horny, and hilarious novel, and it sure holds up on each of those aspects. 

Pairing with the "bigness" of the title, there is certainly a BIG messy energy all throughout this book. Each one of these characters put out an intense but yet imaginable chaos. I feel like I have seen versions of these people in the wild. They are exceptionally written. 

Speaking of messy, Big Swiss is also a great depiction of unreliable narrators. Jen Beagin uses transcripts from those aforementioned therapy sessions AND the POV's unhinged internal monologue to show how memories and storytelling aren't dependable from person to person.

Now all that said, are there things in this book that simply aren't for me? Yes, 100%, and that will bring down my rating a smidge. Because reviewing IS a subjective activity, no matter how you come at it. The POV character of Greta... I wanted to. Throw. Her. Off. A. Bridge. 🤣. Goddamnit lol I ended up pushing through some parts quickly because I just couldn't personally stand her actions anymore. I could never be her friend, Sabine is a saint, and Big Swiss needs even more therapy. So again, the characters in this book DO get 5 stars, because she's supposed to be the pitiful, gross, traumatized, selfish mess that she is. I believe that is entirely on purpose, so well done... But I still didn't *enjoy* wanting to smack her so much. 

Plot: 5

Characters: 5

Craft: 4.5

Engagement: 4

SPARK: 3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Gore, and Stalking

katerina_l's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Excrement, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Infidelity, Misogyny, Drug use, Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Grief, Gore, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Stalking, Medical content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Body horror, and Sexual harassment

catch__up's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Addiction

Minor: Kidnapping, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

sestout's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Gore, Alcohol, Suicide, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, Cursing, Sexual content, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gun violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Addiction, Gaslighting, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Eating disorder, Ableism, and Abandonment

tjasmz's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Cursing, Medical trauma, Grief, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Self harm, Stalking, Blood, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping

danapratt's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Dysphoria, and Panic attacks/disorders

mothmaul's review against another edition

dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Animal death, Body horror, Animal cruelty, Violence, Death, Drug use, and Gun violence

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Addiction, Abandonment, Rape, and Grief

Minor: Stalking, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Eating disorder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

billie_churchill's review against another edition

funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, and Violence

Minor: Miscarriage, Death, Kidnapping, Self harm, Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Vomit, Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Drug use

numbsloth's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Physical abuse, and Torture

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, and Sexual assault

readingtomydogs's review against another edition

funny lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I loved how weird this was at times, but also still relatable. I read transcripts all day, but I still enjoyed reading the transcripts here. Greta was a messy character and I respected her just bobbing along, seeing where life takes her. Big Swiss was a strong force. And I wasn’t squeamish at the sex scenes because they were so damn funny. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Sexual content, Violence, and Suicide

Moderate: Gun violence, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Stalking